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BEAD

Unique ID:LVPL-34D297

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published

A small rectangular strip of folded gold with one decorated surface. The edges of the strip appear to have been cut rather than broken, suggesting that the object is complete. The strip has been folded almost exactly in half (although the two ends do not meet) with the decorated side outermost. The decoration consists of 13 fine, straight, 'incised' grooves.

The incised linear decoration of the strip can be paralleled on a number of gold strips and 'ribbons' of known and very probable Bronze Age date, including finds from Sherborne St John, Hampshire, The Hamel, Oxfordshire (Case 1981; Palmer 1981); Corringham, Lincolnshire (2011 T459); Sproxton, North Yorkshire (2010 T664); Flixton, North Yorkshire (2003 T40a&b); and Ansley, Warwickshire (2007 T672). The find from The Hamel, Oxfordshire, came from the same layer as typologically late Beaker pottery dating to the Early Bronze Age (cf. Needham 2005). Given that it is similar to strips that usually have a greater length, it is not inconceivable that the Retford find has been cut from a longer strip.

It is possible that the object was once tubular, in which case it may have formed a gold bead or similar (e.g. a fitting folded around the edges of another object). Eluère provides a number of French examples of such beads ('perles tubulaires lisses': 1982, 29, figs. 24-7). An example from Bern, Switzerland is twice the length of the putative Retford bead and is decorated with grooves separated by undecorated surfaces (British Museum WG 468). Undecorated cylindrical gold beads have also recently been discovered in a Chalcolithic Beaker burial from Kingsmead Quarry in Berkshire (S. Needham pers comm.).

The object is predominantly of precious metal and is almost certainly more than 300 years old and therefore qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act (1996).

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder after being disclaimed as Treasure

Find number: SOM-62CE08Object type: BRACELETBroadperiod: BRONZE AGETreasure case 2017 T882;
Description: Bead possibly formed from a fragment of a gold band or ribbon dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2200-800 B…Workflow: Published

Find number: ESS-C13B97Object type: RIBBONBroadperiod: BRONZE AGE
A gold fragment of parallel sided strip or ribbon. The ribbon is rectangular in plan and made from a sheet of gold. One side of the ribbon is…Workflow: Published